The ‘Supporting Your Young Carers’ event, on Thursday 25 January, includes a keynote speech from Loughborough University’s Jo Aldridge, Professor of Social Policy and Criminology and Director of the Young Carers Research Group (YCRG), based in the Department of Social Sciences.
Professor Aldridge will discuss the work of the group and consider the contribution it has had to health and social care policy and practice in the UK and other countries. She will also tell of how YCRG has helped to transform the lives of young carers and their families.
The event, which is being led by the School and College Liaison team, will also welcome Charlotte Robey, a senior researcher at the Learning and Work Institute.
Charlotte will showcase the ‘Young Carers Toolkit’, which provides tips and practical resources that carer services can use to help young adult carers think about and get into education, training and employment.
Attendees will also have the chance to meet University staff and build on a network of key contacts over evening canapes. A new online platform for sharing resources, hosted on the REACH website, will also be launched at the event.
As well as highlighting the national awareness day, Supporting Your Young Carers looks to build on the work of the Leicestershire’s Young Carers Multi Agency Group (LYCMAG), which brings together representatives from education, health and various charitable organisations to share best practice.
Kirsty Wilkinson, the University’s School and College Liaison Manager and Chair of LYCMAG, said: “Loughborough University is committed to supporting students who face additional barriers to accessing education.
“The Supporting Your Young Carers event provides us with a platform to offer assistance to those working with young carers on a daily basis and signpost the latest research and support provisions on offer to them.
“We are very excited for the positive impact we believe it will have on young carers across the county.”
Supporting Your Young Carers is free to attend and will run from 4.30pm-7pm. For more information visit the dedicated event page or contact the School and College Liaison team on 01509 223747 or email wp@lboro.ac.uk .